Rise of The Outlaws
by The Bloody Red Lantern
Summary: Sequel to my story Construct, starts off focusing on a new character, Construct will make his grand reappearance but he's not the main focus of the story
1. Chapter 1

6

"_Wake up!" Freezing cold water hit him. He grunted as he woke up, red eyes glared at the guard from the shadows. He stood, body covered in burns and scars. He walked out of the small cell and down the hallway. The guard never left him, always yelling, always pushing him forward. Light, bright, bright light. So bright it blinded him at first. He walked toward the light, knowing he had no choice. Chanting could be heard, along with the grunts and curses of men fighting and dying. As he entered he felts a strange tugging. He struggled to step forward._

"_A'lexx." He turned toward the voice. A name, his name? "A'lexx." He knew that voice, the tug pulled harder. "A'lexx!"_

A'lexx shot up as gasped for breath. "A'lexx are you alright?" A'lexx turned and found his friend Ch'al Hol, the Crimson Hawk, standing over him. "You were moaning, you alright?"

"Yes," A'lexx coughed, his throat is dry. "Yes, fine. What time is it?"

Ch'al shrugged. "Early, your uncle and my aunt will be here soon."

A'lexx nodded and he lied back down. "Right, today's the day." He let out a sigh and closed his eyes.

Later.

"_Titans assemble." _The thought raced across the Tower, bringing the six Titans to the common room. Jinx joined the Titans after Jason left, filling in the gap he made. So as the Titans appeared, Robin saw who their guest was. The Martian Manhunter, _J'onn J'onzz_, stood in the Titans' common room, with a young Martian next to him.

"J'onn, a pleasure, what can we do for you?" asked Robin as the others all stared wearily. It's not often a founding member of the Justice League came to Jump, and it usually meant bad news for the Titans. The last was Green Lantern, who took away Construct, the emotionally confused, yet fiercely loyal energy user, so the Titans were nervous.

"A pleasure Robin, I have need of the Titans services," replied J'onn.

"Uncle this is unnecessary," said the other alien, a grimace on his face.

The Martian Manhunter spared the younger alien a look, a frown on his face. "A'lexx, we talked about this." A'lexx glared at the older Martian. Unlike J'onn, who wore a super hero costume, A'lexx was in simple jeans, with a t-shirt and jacket over it. His skin was green and his eyes are red like J'onn's, but he had black hair.

"You talked about it, I didn't," countered A'lexx. The Titans watched the exchange and slowly began to back away.

"J'onn, if you want to take some time and settle this, you're more than welcome to come back later," said Robin as the Titans tried to get away.

J'onn turned back to the teenaged super heroes and shook his head, "No, no, it's fine. I'm sorry; this is my nephew, A'lexx J'onzz." A'lexx waved before sighing. J'onn shot him a stern look. "I was hoping he could join the Titans. He's been having trouble in the League, he's just a tad too young, I thought it would be better for him to be around people his own age."

Robin nodded as the others stared at the alien teenager. "That's more than fine J'onn, the Titans are always accepting new members, do you want him closer to the Metro Tower or…?"

"Jump is preferable, I know he'll be with good company," replied J'onn; he sent the younger Martian a critical stare. A'lexx just shrugged.

Robin recovered smoothly. "Right, that's perfectly fine. Cy, set A'lexx up with a room."

Cyborg just nodded and smacked himself out of his stupor. "Right Rob, follow me dawg, we'll go get you a room." A'lexx slung a duffle onto his shoulder and followed Cyborg out of the room. All the Titans stare as he left, his attitude, his body language; he reminded them of Jason, same type of disinterested yet alert eyes, same coordinated yet relaxed movements.

As the pair walked, Cyborg tried to strike up a conversation. "So, how long you been in the League?"

"3 months, I joined after my uncle found me." Cyborg spared the teen a look, confusion written on his face.

"Found you?" he repeated, "What do you mean?"

A'lexx shrugged. "Doesn't matter, just haven't been with him that long."

Cyborg stopped in front of a random door. "Makes sense, well no worries, no uncles here to watch over you. Well dawg, here's your room."

Cyborg punches in the code and the doors slide open. "Welcome to the life of teenaged superheroes. We'll go shopping for furniture tomorrow, and I'll whip you up a set of personal codes when we get you a communicator." A'lexx examined the room but didn't say anything. Cyborg awkwardly scratched his head, not sure what he should do. "Um, yea, you uh want to say goodbye to your uncle or?"

"He left, said goodbye too." A'lexx tapped his head to show what he meant.

"Right, telepathy, that stuff, awesome, well," Cy checked his built in clock. "We're probably gonna go for dinner in a bit, uh, relax get comfortable, and we'll call you when we bounce, cool?" A'lexx nodded and stepped into the room. The door slammed shut without so much as a backwards glance from the Martian. Cyborg just stood outside and scratched his head. "Right, cool, dude when did the Titans become a half way home for the crazies?" Cyborg stopped and looked into a window, seeing his reflection. "Ah who the hell am I kidding, it's always been like this."

A'lexx looked around the room then dropped his duffle in the corner. First he stripped the bed and laid the blankets in a corner of the room. It gave him the best view; he could watch both the doors and windows. Then he checked the window. He didn't really worry too much about getting it open, after all he was a ghost, he coulc just phase through the wall. But it didn't hurt to be prepared. He sat down on the stripped bed as he examined the room. It's boxed shaped, spacious, with a desk. It called to A'lexx to fill it, to make it his own. But the Martian knew better, nothing is permanent. He unpacked his duffle, leaving an emergency set of clothes in the bag, and dropped the bag next to his sleeping spot.

Then he turned to the mirror. His short hair changed to a spiked Mohawk. His clothes disappeared that left behind tribal markings and tattoos that covered his entire body. Under the marks were scars, countless ones. A'lexx opened a zipped bag from his bed. Inside was his hero costume. He slipped on the a-shirt, then settled the heavy black leather biker jacket on his shoulders. He partially zipped it up and popped the collar. Next he slid into heavy cargo pants and cinched them with a heavy black belt, the buckle depicting the Martian star. The pants were black with red trim, matching the jacket. Both jacket and pants have a flame pattern sewn into the edges. After the pants came a pair of heavy black combat boots with reinforced shin guards. And finally, fingerless black leather gloves, with the matching red flame pattern.

A'lexx grinned as he stared at his reflection; he even let the red stripes cover his face. A'lexx J'onzz was gone, The Martian Monster was back. Then the grin died as memories flew behind his red eyes, memories better buried in the past. A'lexx shook his head; he made the Mohawk fade and replaced it with his usual short hair. He stared at his reflection when there was a knock on the door.

"Robin sent me to get you. We're getting pizza, hungry?" asked Jinx as she opened the door.

A'lexx blinked as he snapped out of his contemplations. "Um, yes, yes I would like some food." He shook his head a few times and zoned in on Jinx. The bad luck witch gave him a quizzical stare but didn't say anything. "Yes?" he asked, confused as to why she is still there.

"I'm just waiting for you to come, we're going out to get the food," replied Jinx.

A'lexx nodded, "right, sorry, I'm coming." He walked out of the room, not waiting for Jinx. Thankfully for the Martian, she caught up quickly, especially since he still didn't know his way around the tower. Jinx started talking, asking questions as the pair walked. A'lexx responded in monosyllable answers, he tried to give away as little as possible, but Jinx wouldn't stop.

When they got to the common room, A'lexx was on the verge of snapping, but Jinx danced away before he could. "Ah A'lexx, good you're here, we're just about to get some food. Interested?" A'lexx glared at Jinx, who winked and blew him a kiss. He let out a rough sigh and nodded towards Robin.

"Yes, some food would be great. Havent eaten since…" he stopped and thought, "the day before yesterday? Maybe?"

Everyone stared at him, especially Cyborg. "You haven't eaten in over a DAY!?" screamed Cyborg, a look of pure shock written on his face. "Oh Man! We're getting chow now! Everyone pile into the T-Car this can't be allowed to continue." Cyborg appeared next to A'lexx, an arm slung over the Martian's shoulders. "Don't worry man, we're gonna get you the best pizza on the west coast, you're gonna be so full we'll need to roll you out of the joint. Let's go ya'll!" Before A'lexx could stop him, Cyborg ran at full speed to the garage, still holding onto A'lexx.

A'lexx broke the grip on him when they entered the garage. "This is yours?" he asked as he looked around the garage in what is almost wonderment.

Cyborg stopped and whirled about. "Yea dawg, we non flyers got to have some fancy wheels to keep up, if you want, we can work on something together, I can show you some stuff."

A'lexx forcibly cleared his face, still he nodded slightly all the same. "Yea, that'd, that'd be pretty cool." Still collected, A'lexx calmly climbed into the front passenger side of the T-car and waited for the others. Cyborg didn't say anything as he slid in too, but he didn't bother to hide the giant smile on his face. Starfire and Robin took the r-cycle, so the three in the back weren't that squeezed together. Cyborg peeled out of the garage, adding a little extra bit of power to show off. Cyborg noticed A'lexx's eyes light up. The mechanical teenager just smirked and gunned the engine.

The ride to the pizza shop was quicker than usual, Cyborg breaking more than a few speeding laws to get the new titan to smile. When they finally pulled up, Beastboy, Raven and Jinx all lurched out of the car, their stomachs clutched in their hands, A'lexx just grinned softly as he got out. "So what ya think of my baby?" asked Cyborg.

A'lexx nodded as he circles the car. "She handles great, wish I could take her for a spin."

Cyborg laughed but shook his head. "Sorry man, no one drives her but me, but we'll think of something for you."

"Fine," replied A'lexx. His face was blank again but his features were less severe, the wrinkle lines not as prominent. Cyborg slapped him on the shoulder and heads inside, Beastboy chased after him, already arguing about food. Raven and Jinx followed as they quietly conversed. A'lexx stood outside and took a deep breath. "Freedom, hmm." He shook his head and walked into the pizzeria. A small smile was on his face as he sat down.

Dinner passed in typical Titans fashion, Beastboy and Cyborg argued over tofu and meat, Starfire tried to convince Robin to try her mustard covered pizza, while Raven and Jinx talked about magic and life. A'lexx sat back, he watched with half closed eyes. It was strange to him, just sitting in Jump, eating pizza. A'lexx couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen, so he sat there and waited.

An explosion went off several blocks away and all chatter ceased. "Titans GO!" shouted Robin. The superheroes dashed out of the pizza parlor, dinner forgotten. A'lexx followed, curious to see his new team in action. It was the three monsters of Jump, Overload, Cinderblock and Plasmus. "Cyborg, Raven Beastboy, deal with Plasmus, Star, you and me will take Overload, A'lexx you and Jinx take Cinderblock!" orders Robin. The Titans charged towards their targets, A'lexx carried Jinx as they moved.

Jinx pointed to a spot in front of Cinderblock "Put me down there and stay out of my way!" A'lexx nodded and landed. Jinx's eyes glew as she shot her bad luck waves, the cement gave way under Cinderblock's weight. A'lexx watched a few feet away, examining the Titans' movements and coordination. The Martian was impressed; the Titans worked well, each knew the other's move instinctively, the years of working together was evident in their movements.

The Martian was brought out of his contemplations when Jinx was hit. A'lexx was in the air before Cinderblock finished his attack, he caught the girl as she sailed through the sky. "Jinx! Are you ok?!" Jinx tried to nod, she shook her head to try and focus her vision.

"Damn pile of bricks, should have seen that coming," mumbled the girl.

A'lexx's red eyes gleamed as he stared at Cinderblock. A'lexx landed and set Jinx down, after he made sure she was in cover, A'lexx turned towards Cinderblock. The stone monster roared as it freed itself from the cement hole and clambered back onto the street. A'lexx stared down at the monster as he slowly floated in the sky. Cinderblock looked for a target when it noticed the green Martian and growled. A'lexx surged forward. Cinderblock barely raised his fist before A'lexx crashed into him; the Martian threw his whole body into the punch. Cinderblock flew back and crashed through buildings as A'lexx gave chase. Cinderblock smashed through three buildings before landing in a crater. A'lexx flew up high and dived at Cinderblock, he slammed into the monster with a terrific crash.

He punched Cinderblock over and over, not letting the monster back to its feet. Chips flew from its stone skin as A'lexx continued to hammer away at it. Finally Cinderblock managed to back hand A'lexx away. A'lexx phased through a building as he sought to right himself. Cinderblock shakily stood up, pieces of its face broke away as it moved. The creature roared and charged forward, arm cocked back. Jinx's eyes glowed as she went to shoot, but A'lexx got there first. The Martian grew, becoming more alien looking, with long arms and legs, a pointed head and no nose. The transformed A'lexx dodged a punch and swiped at Cinderblock, smashing the creature aside. A'lexx as rushed forward he shifted into his regular form and bashed Cinderblock's knee. The creature screamed as it collapsed to one leg, a second punch knocked it flat on its back. A'lexx jumped high in the air, ready to slam down, only it wasn't necessary. The cement around Cinderblock liquefied like quick sand, causing the monster to sink. The cement hardened again and left Cinderblock buried up to his head. The Martian slowly sank to the ground, his back turned to Jinx. Jinx ran towards him, when she noticed a change in his appearance. Red marks swirled around his head; a black spiked Mohawk replaced his short hair.

Jinx slowly walked over to him, her arms wrapped around her side. She stopped as A'lexx tensed slightly, then forcibly relaxed, and turned around. "Are you alright?" his voice was calm, but Jinx saw he was forcing himself to stay in control. Years as a professional thief managed to keep Jinx's face blank when she saw that the red marks covered A'lexx's face. One stripe ran across his eyes, dying his skin bright red instead of green.

Jinx nodded as she winced. "Yea, he caught me with a lucky shot. Ironic actually."

The smallest smirk wormed its way onto A'lexx's face. "A little, well," he turned back to Cinderblock, "he's not going anywhere."

"You actually sound a little disappointed," countered Jinx as she stood next to him. Both looked down into the crater as Cinderblock continued to try and break free.

A'lexx shrugged. "I'm not, why should I be?"

Jinx, with a grin, mimicked his movements. "I don't know, just saying. Nice hair by the way." A'lexx's hand shot up and touched the Mohawk.

The Martian let out a ragged sigh, and dropped his hand. "This used to be part of my old…persona. Before I joined the league." He shifted, the tribal marks faded and his Mohawk turned into his usual short hair.

Jinx just stared "I like it, you should keep it, and the red marks, those are badass."

A'lexx smirked slightly, and let the Mohawk back out. However his skin stayed the same shade of green. "The hair is one thing, the marks are another. Let's keep that between us for now." Jinx nodded slightly, caught off guard by the request. "Thank you." A'lexx turned to look at the sky. He could almost hear the spectators; see them as they cried for blood.

Jinx opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped, unsure what she should say. Finally she laid a hand on his shoulder, "think we should join the others?" A'lexx almost jumped, like he forgot she was there.

The Martian shook his head a few times to clear his mind, and nodded. "Yes, we should get back." The Jump Police department was there, they were securing Cinderblock in his cement prison. So A'lexx scooped Jinx up, barely registering the girl's blush as he floated into the sky. Jinx clutched to A'lexx as he flew towards the other Titans. A'lexx didn't mention it. They found the others near the center of Jump, watching as Overload and Plasmus were taken away. A'lexx set Jinx down as the others came over.

"Cinderblock?" asked Robin.

"Taken care of, the newbie's pretty useful in a fight," replied Jinx. A'lexx grunted as he stared at the sleeping human Plasmus, his expression unreadable.

"A'lexx we're gonna head back and finish eating you interested?" A'lexx turned toward Robin and shook his head.

"I would like some time to myself. I'll be back at the tower later," replied the Martian

Robin nodded as Starfire took his hands. "That's fine, just send us a message when you get back, we'll let you in."

"Right," answered the Martian, he rose into the sky before flying away.


	2. Chapter 2

5

A'lexx flew through Jump and landed near the harbor. He stared out over the water as the sun began to set and took a seat on the pier. "A whole sky and nothing to stop me." A'lexx didn't move for a while, just watched the sun dip below the sea, arms wrapped around one leg, the other dangled off the pier. When the sun finally disappeared, the Martian stood up and left, still not sure what he wanted.

A'lexx did a patrol of Jump, he wanted to learn the layout of his new city. As he flew, the Martian opened his mind and tried to listen to everything he could. It hurt; A'lexx trained his physical powers more than his mental, but the Martian did it anyway. As he floated in the sky, he let the mental energy crash against his mind, like waves hitting the shore. Most was nothing, normal life, but one surge, it stabbed straight into A'lexx's brain. A girl, in pain, surrounded by attackers. A'lexx sped through the sky as he tracked the mental signature; much like a blood hound follows a scent.

He found the girl, her attackers circled around her, and something inside A'lexx snapped. His form changed, becoming more bestial, his tribal marks reappearing all over his body. His features elongated and claws grew from his fingers. He plummeted out the sky and slammed into one attacker. He threw the human through a building. The others turned and opened fire with pistols. A'lexx became incorporeal and sank under the street. He reappeared behind the first two assailants and solidified his hands in their chests. Both cough out blood as the Martian squeezed their hearts. They collapsed and slid off the Martian's arms. Another bashed a pipe into A'lexx's head. The pipe bent around his skull. The Martian back handed the thug into the alley wall. All that was left was the leader, who was standing over the girl. He emptied his pistol at A'lexx, but the Martian just phased trough the bullets.

Finally the thug threw the gun down and held his hands up. "Ok man ok, I surrender, take me to jail man!" A'lexx didn't stop walking towards the thug; his red eyes glowed in the darkness. "I surrender man I surrender!"

A'lexx's eyes gleamed as he strode forward. "I don't care." A'lexx grabbed the thug by the neck and smashed him into a wall. Lasers shot from A'lexx's eyes and burned a hole into the thug's head. A'lexx dropped the thug, his brain partially destroyed. The other attackers were either unconscious or running, A'lexx didn't bother catching them. Instead he turned toward the girl who was huddling on the ground. "Are you ok?" He went to help her up, but she screamed.

"Get away from me! Monster! Monster!" she pushed him away and struggled to her feet, trying to run away. A'lexx attempted to help her, but she shoved him back again as she screamed loudly. Sirens sounded in the distance. A'lexx rose into the sky and rocketed away. Confusion and shame weighed heavily on him as he flew.

A'lexx landed lightly on top of Titan's Tower and phased through the roof into the main common room. Robin and Starfire were curled up on the couch; Beastboy and Raven were chatting in the kitchen while Jinx was off to the side reading. Cyborg was nowhere to be seen. A'lexx coughed slightly, to let the Titans know he was there.

"You're back friend!" shouted Starfire as she zoomed off the couch. "Did you enjoy your time for the thinking?"

A'lexx nodded slightly as he hid his bloody hands. "Yes, it was very relaxing."

Starfire grabbed A'lexx in a great hug. "Most excellent friend! Come we are watching the television, please join us." The Martian squirmed a little under the open affection, his confusion evident.

"Um, I was planning on" Starfire pouted as A'lexx tried to back out of the invitation. The Martian sighed, "yes, I'll watch some television." The two aliens floated over to the couch, Starfire cuddled with Robin as A'lexx took a seat at the far end. The Titans spared their new guest a glance or two, but for the most part he was accepted. Except for Jinx. She watched as A'lexx discreetly wiped his hands by crossing his arms then morphing his clothes. The former thief made a note to ask what happened, but that was a conversation for another time.

"Yo guess who's got the movies!?" shouted Cyborg as he bursts into the common room.

Beastboy jumped from the kitchen stool and sped towards the mechanical teen. "Dude! Finally we've been waiting for, like, ever!"

Cyborg tried to shove the smaller hero aside as he walked into the room. "Chill grass stain, I've only been gone a little while. Dude, move unless you want me to squash you like a bug!" A smirk appeared on Beastboy's face, he changed into a fly and buzzed around Cyborg's head. "Hey, damn it green bean cut it out!" But the green fly kept circling Cyborg's head. "Fine dawg, you asked for this!" He went to take a deep breath when his mouth was covered in black energy.

"That's enough of you two." Raven's eyes flashed and BB was caught in her energy as well. "Garfield Logan, change back now." The fly shifted back to Beastboy. "Good, now go sit down and let Cyborg show us what movies he's brought." Cyborg snickered as Beastboy shuffled away, his ears down. "And you," the resident empath turned toward the mechanical teen. "It does not take an hour and a half to go to the video store. Next time save the love affair with your car for when we're not waiting on you." Everyone burst out laughing as Cyborg stood there, slack jawed at the insult. Raven just calmly walked to the couch and sat down next to Beastboy.

A'lexx watched with amused confusion. The openness, the obvious care, it was something the Martian wasn't used to. But, he figured, he'd get used to it…eventually. The night passed with the Titans watching movies, A'lexx tried to settle into a somewhat normal life. At first everything was going ok, the movies were good and for a while A'lexx relaxed. Then a film about Rome came on. The film intrigued A'lexx, who knew next to nothing about earth history and culture. Then the arena appeared. A'lexx stiffened as he saw the gladiators come out. The crowds cheered as the men battled, shouting for blood. The Martian struggled to control himself, his eyes dilated and his breathing increased.

Jinx noticed the Martian's rigid posture, and glanced at him. He stares straight at the screen, hands clenched at his side, back ramrod straight. She cocks her head to the side as she examines the alien, like a cat staring at a mouse. A'lexx tried to relax, to forcibly control his body, but it wasn't working. Panic started to seize him, despite his attempts to stay calm. He needed to get away. So he stood up, not too fast, but not slow either. "I'm feeling a little tired, I'm going to go to sleep. Good night everyone." With that he left, walking as quickly as he could without alerting the Titans' suspicions. Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire didn't notice anything. But Raven, Jinx and Robin all glanced at each other.

Jinx gestured to the door, and Robin nodded. "I'm running to the bathroom," said Jinx as she got up. The Titans all made noises of acknowledge and Jinx left. She strolled down the hallway towards A'lexx's room, figuring that was the best place to find the Martian.

A'lexx bolted into his room, locking the door before he hunkered down in the middle of the room. "Breath, A'lexx, breath. Focus!" he whispered to himself as he tried to calm himself down. His red marks returned, swirling around his green skin, while his body became more alien, more angular and thin. He smashed a hand into the ground, denting the reinforced floor of the Tower. That's when he heard a knock on his door. A'lexx's head shot up, a feral look on his face. His Mohawk returned and his marks stopped shifting. He got to his feet slowly, a low growl rumbled out from him. He stalked to the door, fading from sight. He opened the lock and stepped to the side.

Jinx glanced inside when A'lexx's doors opened. She almost stepped inside when instincts began to sound off. Jinx lives with bad luck, it made up her being, she knew better than to tempt fate. "A'lexx are you in there?"

The Martian froze when he heard Jinx's voice. Reality snapped back in for A'lexx, and he shifted back to his more human form. "Here," he coughed; his voice was rough, guttural. Jinx almost screamed as A'lexx walked out of the shadows.

"Don't do that!" she yelled.

A'lexx cocked his head to the side, confused. "Do what?"

Jinx turned the lights on and walked into the room. She raised an eyebrow at his bedding pile, but didn't comment. "Walk out of the shadows like that. It scares people! Where were you anyway?" Jinx was a trained thief, she had excellent peripheral vision, and she couldn't see him before.

A'lexx shrugged. "You asked if I was here, I answered. And Martians can use their shapeshifting like natural camouflage, much like your native chameleon. Add in our intangibility, Martians can almost turn completely invisible."

Jinx just shook her head. "Jesus is there anything you can't do?"

"Sleep."

Jinx looked up as A'lexx headed back to his pile of bedding and lay down. "You have trouble sleeping?" A'lexx nodded. "Why?" He laid there and stared at the ceiling. Jinx sat on the floor next to the door, neither one said anything. The pair remained in silence for a while before Jinx finally stood up. "Well if you want to talk, I got experience with sleep troubles; bad memories affect even the happiest of us. You ever want to talk, I'm around."

A'lexx looked up, slightly confused. "Um, thank you, but I'm alright. I will keep that in mind though." He got to his feet, awkwardly rubbing his hands when he was up. "I, um, thank you, for checking on me."

Jinx just shrugged. "Titans take care of their own. I learned that the hard way. If you need anything, we're down the hall. Good night A'lexx."

"Good night, Jinx," replied A'lexx, his confusion and nervousness evident. He closed the door after Jinx left, unsure of what the new feeling in his chest was. A'lexx moved to his pile of bedding and collapsed. Sleep took over, and the cycle of nightmares started all over again.

A'lexx woke up the next morning feeling slightly better, though still a bit haunted by his nightmares. But the Martian pushed them out of his mind as he walked towards the common room. Inside he found Raven and Robin talking over a pot of tea; Jinx was on the island, half asleep, a mug of coffee in her hand. A'lexx shook his head as he moved toward the pot, pouring himself a cup. The Martina grew fond of coffee when he first came to the league, it kept him from sleeping. While it was not as effective as it used to be, it did provide him with a jolt of energy to get up. He took a seat next to Jinx and spared her a glance. The cat eyed witch felt the gaze and looked up, shaking her head. "Trouble sleeping, decided to get up at this ungodly hour."

A'lexx cocked his head to the side, Jinx pointed to a clock, it read seven thirty. "Only the damn birds over there are up at this time. Can't even get some decent food cause Cy is still recharging."

The Martian shrugged as he stood up and made his way over to the large viewing area. A'lexx stared out over the water as the new sun shines on everything, soaking up its heat as if it was purifying. After a little while he stepped away and moved toward the kitchen. "What do you want?" He didn't mean for his voice to sound rough, but it gets the others' attention.

Jinx shrugged as she cuddled with her coffee. "Food, anything but cold cereal." A'lexx nodded as he rummaged through the fridge. He pulled out eggs, a package of bacon and milk. Then he grabbed pancake mix and got to work.

In a short time, Jinx was staring at a mound of pancakes with a side of crispy bacon and a glass of orange juice. She looked at A'lexx in shock as he made more. The Martian passed a plate to Robin that he takes into his evidence room, a yogurt and fruit parfait to Raven, who ate while reading, then laid out three more plates for the others. The first to come was Cyborg, following the smell of bacon.

"Yo! Who cooked?" he shouted as he took a seat. Jinx just pointed to A'lexx who was already making him a plate, loaded with bacon. Cyborg took the plate and drooled at the smell. "This looks awesome dude!" he dug in and almost cried from 'bacon glory'. A'lexx just shook his head as placed a glass of juice next to the mechanical teenager, turning back to make the next batch of pancakes. After Starfire and Beastboy finally stumbled in and ate, A'lexx made a final batch for himself, taking it to the roof.

He sat there, eating while he watched the bay. "You know, I'm really going to need a list of everything you can do, cause this whole surprising us thing? It's gonna get annoying soon." A'lexx turned to see Jinx on the roof, one hand on her hip.

He shrugged. "I'll write it when I go inside."

Jinx sat down next to him, a smile on her face. "That's called a joke; they have jokes on Mars right?"

"Never been to Mars," answered A'lexx.

Jinx stared, confused. "But you're Martian." He shrugged. Jinx threw her hands up and lays back on the roof. "Fine, be all mysterious with your origins. See if I care, but when they write your comic book be prepared for ridiculous things."

A'lexx turned toward his companion, glancing down on her. "You are very strange Jinx."

Jinx just laughed. "Join the club, besides being normal is too boring for this girl. Being strange makes life interesting."

Neither said anything for a while as they sat there. Finally A'lexx stood up, transforming himself into a human as he did so. "I'm new to Jump, I should get to know it if I'm going to defend it. I would need a local's help, if you're interested?"

Jinx jumped up, staring at the now human looking teen. The only quirk in the transformation were his eyes. They were crimson, a little startling given his human appearance. "A'lexx, are you asking me out on a date?"

The Martian cocked his head to the side, confused. "What is a date?"

Jinx just shook her head as she took his arm. "Never mind, sure I'll show you around. Nothing better to do today."

He nodded, a small smile on his face. "Thank you."


	3. Chapter 3

**_Sorry for the forever long wait, been stuck with severe writer's block. Anyway, i am back, this story is continuing so its all good. So please enjoy, reviews motivate me! _**

**_BRL_**

4

An hour later, the two Titans, in civilian clothes, found themselves in downtown Jump, Jinx leading A'lexx around. It was a pleasant day, with A'lexx learning more about humans and their culture. As well as the layout of the city, should he have to do solo patrols. It also gave the Martian a chance to forget himself. Jinx made him relax. A'lexx didn't know how he felt about that.

Still A'lexx had fun, a rare experience. "So," started Jinx as they wandered, "what do you do for fun? Got any hobbies?"

A'lexx cocked his head to the side, confused. "What are hobbies?"

Jinx just stared before shaking her head. "Oh man, I seriously need to get the others to help me. You're worse than Starfire."

"In what way?" asked the Martian.

Jinx shook her head again as she dragged the alien towards a shopping mall. "Alright we're going to the mall, video games, clothes shopping; we're finding something you like."

A'lexx looked perplexed as he followed a bemused smile on his face. "We don't have too; I'm quite alright with what we're doing."

Jinx just giggled as she looked behind her. "Well that's boring, so we're going to. Just shut up and deal with it." A'lexx actually chuckled, which made Jinx grin even more. As they crossed the street though, their plans were rudely interrupted. An explosion went off from the bank as armed men fled the scene. Jinx just smacked a hand against her head, glaring. "For god sakes seriously, a day off that's all I ask? Is that too much?!"

A'lexx already shifted to his hero form, looking down at Jinx. "I'll take care of this while you change." He didn't wait for a response. The Martian took to the sky and rocketed towards the scene. He landed in the middle of the getaway, smashing one robber into a wall. He spun and hit another, the rest open fire. He took three bullets before he sank into the ground. He coughed up blood before taking a deep breath. A viscous snarl appeared on the Martian's face as he charged back upward. This time he crashed through the street, debris flying everywhere.

He spun around, ready for a fight when he saw the other Titans. They were mopping the bank robbers up. "A'lexx!" shouted Jinx as she appeared next to him, frantically checking him.

He pushed her back slightly, turning to face the robbers. "I'm fine."

Jinx was caught off guard by the gruff response. She cocked her head to the side as she watched A'lexx gather up the robbers with the others. Reporters started appearing, camera flashes go off as the reporters shouted questions. The Titans filed in behind Robin, the front man of the group. "Robin! Robin! What happened to Construct and who is this new reserve member? Is he filling in permanently, or will Construct be back?"

Robin held up his hands and tried to get everyone to calm down. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Titans will release a press statement later. For now, Construct is off our roster and is currently with the Justice League; Jinx is filling in for him. As for our new member we will introduce him at a more convenient setting." Press statement said, Robin spun on his heel and walked away, the Titans following. A'lexx stared at the flashing cameras, his face almost grave looking. But it wasn't the cameras he was staring at. The Martian cast his gaze across Jump, he could feel he was being watched.

On the top of a roof, several blocks away, two figures loomed over the scene. "So that's our next member?" asked one. She wore a red stripped black mask. She was crouched along the edge of the roof, a pair of binoculars in her hands.

The other nodded, hidden in the shadows. A long coat covered most of him, blending into the shadows. "Yea, he's the next one. First the bird boy, then the shape shifter. We'll need them both; they have connections where we're going." The red masked one turned back towards the Titans.

"Slade's interested in him, been thinking about contacting him," said the girl in the red mask.

The other snorted as he leaned against the roof door. "Slade's always interested in new super powered teenagers. He's too concerned with his legacy. Sides he already has an apprentice doesn't he?" The girl just nods as she stared out.

"I think he knows, he knows I'm playing him," she whispered.

"Of course he does," answered the shadowed figure. "Because you told him, like I knew you would." Her head whipped around to stare at her partner. "I needed you too. Whether you're playing me, him or both of us, you have to appear to be on both our sides. But I'm betting you're with me, even if you tell Slade you're playing me. You don't want to be a drone. So keep feeding him information."

"Ok," she answered. "What else do you need me to do?"

The one in the shadows turned away and walked towards the roof's edge. He stopped and called over his shoulder. "Just that, and maybe stir up the Titans a little. Worst comes to worst you're to contact them if you have too. Just remember, you do this we're square and you get to go back to Gotham, clean slate." With that he jumped off the roof, the red masked fighter remained.

With a loud sigh the other watcher started to climb down the fire escape. "Clean slate, that'd be nice, real nice." She slid down the fire escape, and walked to a hidden motor cycle. She started the bike, revved the engine a few times, and shot out.

Meanwhile the Titans returned to the Tower, A'lexx distant from the others as he brooded. No one knew what caused the change, nor could anyone seem to get through to him. He disappeared as soon as he could; he simply floated up through the Tower to his room. Once in the sanctity of his room, A'lexx let out a tight hiss as he moved his arm away from his ribs. Green blood covered his covered hand. He winced as he tried to heal himself, but the bullets were lodged in and wouldn't shift. The Martian growled to himself and began to search the room for something sharp. He was tempted to just break a piece of the bed when his door opened. "Med bay, now!" screamed Jinx.

The Martian was so caught off guard by the sudden shout he followed, looking like a scolded puppy instead of a super powered teenager. He winced and held his side, blood flowing lazily. Jinx berated him all the way. Finally in Med Bay, Cyborg dug the slugs out of A'lexx's skin. "I thought Martians were bullet proof, like Kryptonians." Cyborg went to say more when he looked at the bullets. The rounds were huge. "Never mind, these damn things were designed for super heroes, makes a bit more sense now. Still, I've seen rounds bounce off the Manhunter, from big guns."

A'lexx shrugged. "I was in the middle of shifting, makes my body vulnerable." Both Jinx and A'lexx knew that wasn't true, but neither said anything. Jinx was still trying to understand the newest Titan, who seemed to have more secrets than Robin had masks.

Cyborg nodded. Neither commented on the pain A'lexx felt when Cy got the bullets out, Cyborg understood enough to figure out A'lexx wasn't the type of guy to show weakness, especially with Jinx still in the room. So he got to work and tried to make it as quick as possible. Still A'lexx looked even paler than normal when it was over. "Well dawg, you need some fluids, food and rest. I suggest a couple sodas, left over pizza and some couch time." The alien nodded as he stood up. He wobbled a little, then Jinx caught him. He stared down at her, confused. Cyborg worked to keep the grin off his face. "Set him up Jinx, then come down to the garage." The witch spared the robotic teen a look but nodded all the same.

A'lexx shook his head. "My room will be sufficient, if that's alright?" he asked.

Cyborg sighed and nodded. "Yea, just, don't hide away all day, alright?"

"Yes, thank you," he replied as he and Jinx walked away.

As the two made their way through the Tower A'lexx spotted a brilliant emerald door, strange since all the others were silver. "Who lived there?" asked the Martian.

Jinx smiled slightly. "That's Construct's old room."

A'lexx frowned slightly. "Construct, the Green Lantern child?"

Jinx nodded. "You know him?"

A'lexx shook his head. "I never met him, he got into a fight with a friend of mine though. Held his own, still he goaded my friend into that fight."

Jinx shrugged as best she could as the two walked. A'lexx looked…better, but she didn't want to take any chances. But he was talking, which was good. "Jason's a little…rough around the edges."

"And extremely strong willed from what my Uncle told me," said A'lexx. He went to say more when he felt…something. Jinx felt it too, she stiffened, then tightened her grip on A'lexx. "Stay here," he whispered as he approached the emerald door. Jinx went to argue when she saw the Martian stand upright, as if he hadn't been hurt at all. They both stopped in front of the door, A'lexx scanned the area, and hit a giant metal wall. The Martian almost growled. "Do you know the passcode?" he asked. Jinx shook her head.

The door then open and two bright green hands dragged both inside. The door slid shut like nothing happened. A'lexx was covered in green restraints, same with Jinx, and both had gags on their mouths. Sitting at the desk, looking like he never left, was Construct. "Now, I'm gonna release the gags, don't talk, it's taking most of my power just to keep the others from figuring out I'm here." Both restrained Titans looked confused. Jason sighed. "Suffice to say, I don't want them to find out I'm home, for now. Alright?" A'lexx looked at Jinx, who slowly nodded. So he did too. Jason let out a weary smile. "Good." His eyes flashed, and their bonds disappeared.

Then Jinx attacked him…well sort of. She jumped on him and slapped him before hugging him. "What are you doing here!?" she hissed.

Jason laughed as he returned to the hug. "It's complicated. For now, I'm interested in my replacement."

Jinx let go as she watched to the two. "Why are you interested in him?"

"It's a private matter, unfortunately, I'll explain later I promise but for now, the Martian and me need some privacy," he answered.

Jinx went to argue when A'lexx spoke. "It's fine, Jinx, thank you, but I would like to talk to him, his mental defenses are astounding."

Jason laughed slightly. "So I've been told. When we're done I'll drop a line, ok?" Jinx glared at the two males before throwing her hands up and stomping out of the room. Jason offered his former bed to the Titan. A'lexx warily accepted. "It's alright, I'm not gonna attack you. No fun in fighting an injured alien." A'lexx's arm appeared around his stomach.

He looked at the glowing teen, then his eyes widened. "You were there today?"

Jason nodded. "Yes, my associate thinks I'm out of town, going to Central City, which I will be, soon, but I wanted to talk to you first."

"About?" asked the Martian.

"About," continued Jason, "an alien war lord, named Mongul." The Martian stiffened and his eyes glowed menacingly. Jason grinned slightly. "Yea, I figured you'd know that name. When I was working my beat, my partner heard a rumor, Mongul's been on the war path, supposedly lost some big attraction, been looking for them. He's hired an entire Gordanian merc company to track them down. Last I heard they were in this sector." Jason stood up and walked over to his library. "Just a friendly warning, from one Titan to another, but I'd keep your head down if I were you." He pulled a book off the shelf and smiled to himself. "It's so strange being here," he laughed slightly. "Here," he tossed a book at A'lexx. "This was one of my favorites, should make you smile." He turned to the window and opened it. "If you need to contact me go to a dive bar in the warehouse district called _Katie's_, ask for Rita, she'll pass along any messages too me. Until then, heal up I'll be in touch soon." Jason jumped out the window and flew away, leaving A'lexx there, confused.

The Martian turned the book over and almost laughed. "John Carter of Mars, intriguing." Book in hand, A'lexx stood up, clutching his sore ribs and left. Jinx assaulted him outside, but Martian didn't say anything. After a while she gave up, and helped him to his room.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey Guys BRL here, A'lexx's story is still coming along, but i wanted to introduce another very important figure in this story. This is his intro chapter, and he'll be having at least one or two more before he gets to the Titans. Hope you all enjoy, remember reviews are love**_

_**BRL  
**_

_Meanwhile, while A'lexx is adjusting to Jump_

Ch'al watched as his only friend teleports off the watch tower. A shadow fell over him, and the Thanagarian almost growled. "A'lexx left?" asked Hawkgirl.

He nodded, keeping his face blank. "Yes, why ask, you knew he was leaving."

Hawkgirl was caught off guard at the anger. "Ch'al you said you were alright with this." The teenager just barreled past the older warrior, not even sparing her a look. Hawkgirl shook her head as she leant against the wall. "Teenagers, I will never understand."

"They only get worse." Hawkgirl turned to see Batman next to her.

"Worse huh?" she asked.

Batman nodded; a small smile on his face. "Well, until they need something. Then they're sweet."

Hawkgirl just laughed. "Well, Carter's taking care of him, besides it's not like the kid will listen to me."

Batman shook his head. "When push comes to shove, he'll come to you, kids always do."

Hawkgirl spared the Dark Knight a look. "When did you become parent of the year?"

Batman walked away, "I watch Alfred, he's an amazing parent," he called over his shoulder. Hawgirl's laughter rang throughout the hall.

Meanwhile Ch'al Hol, nephew of Shayera Hol, stormed through the Watch Tower and headed to his room. Ch'al was tall, over six feet, with bright red hair like his aunt. He had piercing green eyes and his body was littered with scar tissue. Like his aunt, his wings were grey, yet he had a streak of red feathers in both. A heavy, red and black hawk helm dangled from his hand, which gave him his name, the Crimson Hawk.

"You look angry." Ch'al looked up to see Carter Hall, also known as Hawkman, waiting outside his room.

"I'm not in the mood Carter," replied Ch'al as he pushes past the older hero.

Carter nodded as Ch'al opens his door. "I can see. Well you need to get packed cause we're leaving too."

Ch'al looked out from his room and stared at Carter. "We're going back to Central City?"

Carter nodded. "Yea. I've been invited to Egypt, they discovered a new tomb that has strange hieroglyphs, and."

"And they need you," finished Ch'al as he headed back in his room. Carter followed inside, shaking his head at the mess he observed. Ch'al collapsed on his bed and stared at his ceiling.

"Yes, and I need an assistant. So you're coming with me," said Carter.

Ch'al looked up at Carter. "I am? Why?"

Carter shrugged as he leant against the wall. "The hieroglyphs might be Thanagarian, and I might need a Thanagarian with me."

Ch'al laid back down. "Not interested."

Carter nodded. "I figured, but its either my field trip, or stay here with your aunt and train."

Ch'al sat up, glaring at Carter. "I'll be packed in ten minutes."

Carter smiled. "Excellent, I'll be by the teleports when you're ready. Oh, and no weapons, if we need anything I'll get it, but for now." Ch'al grunted as he began throwing clothes into a duffle. Carter took that as an answer. "Oh, and light clothes, Egypt is hot."

Ch'al finished packing his clothes and grabbed a few personal items. Once his duffle is packed, he goes to leave when he glances at the framed picture on his night stand. It was of him and A'lexx, when they first joined the League. A small smile breaks through his blank façade. Shaking his head, the Thanagarian grabs the picture and stuffs it into his duffle. Nodding to himself, Ch'al closes the door and leaves. The trip to the teleporters was fast, Ch'al focused on the expedition instead of the feelings of lost.

Already standing there, Hawkman just waved Ch'al over, Mr. Terrific at the teleporter's controls. Ch'al took his place next to Hawkman and took a deep breath. There was a tight, gut wrenching feeling, then the pair were standing in Central City, in front of Hawkman's museum. "You're gonna need some desert appropriate clothes, I left some on your bed in the loft. Finish getting packed, a car will be here to take us to the airport in an hour."

Ch'al cocked his head to the side. "An airport? Why don't we just teleport there?"

Carter laughed as the two took off into the air. "Because Hawkman and the Crimson Hawk aren't going, but Carter Hall is, along with his nephew Charles Hall."

Ch'al glanced towards his mentor and shook his head. "I hate airports."

Carter nodded, a smirk on his face. "So do I Charlie, so do I."

An hour later a grumpy Ch'al was standing in line at the airport. His wings were hidden thanks to a magical ring given to the Thanagarian by Doctor Fate. Fate had made another one for Ch'al's aunt but she refused to use it. Ch'al was annoyed over the lack of weapons, if he had learned anything during his life; it was to always be armed, no matter what. But Carter refused to allow the teen to bring even so much as a knife. After passing through security the pair wandered the airport. "Hungry Charlie?"

Ch'al grunted, but didn't really answer. Much like his friend A'lexx, Ch'al had a bad habit of forgetting to eat. Carter made it one of his jobs to make sure the teen stay fed, the Thanagarian's advance musculature and strength demanded a lot of nutrition. Carter sighed and grabbed the teen. "Come on, let's get some food." Ch'al didn't argue. Twenty minutes later they were in the airport canteen, food in front of them. Carter watched as Ch'al tore into his food, a bemused smile on his face. "Don't choke kid."

Ch'al stopped in mid bite and swallowed. "Sorry," he took a slower bite and continued to eat. The teen was all muscle, much like his aunt, though he had the broad shouldered build typical to Thanagarian men. But unlike most of his kinsmen, his body was covered in scar tissue. At least forty percent of his skin was scarred, though the teenager never shared how he got them. Several ragged scars ran down his face, almost slicing his eye. Most were hidden by his clothes, but it still made Carter wonder what exactly had happened to the teen before the League found him and the Martian A'lexx.

Of their time before the league, neither talked about it, both maintained a code of silence so serious J'onzz couldn't even pierce their minds to get a peak. Of the two, A'lexx acclimated more easily, he was calmer and fit into the League rather well. But Ch'al, Ch'al was a different story. The minute he was found he fought, anyone and everyone. It was ironic, and rather fortunate for the teen that Shayera Hol was his aunt, though he refused to admit it. Ch'al seemed ashamed when he had to rely on anyone, except for his Martian friend. But, thankfully for both Thanagarians, Carter befriended the boy. Convincing a few others, Carter was able to get Ch'al private fighting lessons with Wild Cat, to sharpen his hand to hand, while the former Academic worked on his weapon fighting.

But it was more refining than teaching. The Thanagarian teen had the experience of a blooded warrior, even if he lacked the skills. But with his body taken care of, Carter has decided to try and expand the boy's mind. Hence why he's taking him along on this dig. The only thing that seemed to keep Ch'al in one spot is weapons, and this tomb in Egypt had a wealth of new types.

Also there was rumored to be a strange metal found, possibly Nth metal. Carter wanted to get there first, in order to stop the metal from falling into the wrong hands. Besides, mused the older hero, he hadn't been to Egypt in a few years, it would do them both some good to get back to digging. So after their meal, the pair made their way to their gate, and waited for their plane. Carter read while Ch'al listened to music, pulling his beanie down over his eyes. Carter had warned him that Egypt was by far too warm for such things as that, but Ch'al had simply ignored him. The teenager was dressed in baggy cargo shorts, a long sleeve opened button down over a black a-shirt, and combat boots. Not exactly the gear for hiking in the desert, but Carter brought some spare sensible clothes for his charge, and was readying the 'I told you so' speech for when they landed.

"Now Boarding Flight 315" droned the overhead speaker.

Carter grabbed his duffle. "Come on kid, time to go." Both stood up and walked into the plane. Ch'al snarled as they were herded into the coach class, he felt like cattle on the way to the slaughter.

"Excuse me? Professor Hall? Your tickets have been upgraded, you and your nephew are both flying first class," said a stewardess who checked their tickets.

Carter cocked an eyebrow. "I didn't change them, who did?"

"Bruce Wayne!" giggled the Stewardess. "How do you know a rich man like him, think you could introduce me?"

Ch'al shouldered through the two. "My mother works for him," spat the gruff teen as he moved to the front of the plane.

The Stewardess glared at the teen but Carter just held his hand up. "Sorry, he's in a bad mood, thank you for telling us." With a pleasant smile, the historian followed his charge. For his part, Ch'al was already slumped down in his seat, nose buried in a book, head phones in. "Did you turn your phone off Charlie?" The teen grunted again and held up his smart phone, specially designed by the League, all League members were given one, mix of Kryptonian, Martian and a bit of Thanagarian tech, all rolled into one. Carter grinned as he sat down. "Ah, first Class, remind me to thank your Aunt when we get back." Ch'al snorted as he continued to read. Carter didn't both answering.

The flight was long, they had two stop overs, almost lost their luggage, and Ch'al got involved in a fight between a German and a Spaniard over who the last piece of bacon was really going too. Suffice to say, Ch'al got his bacon, and kicked out of the buffet. But they eventually made it to Egypt, specifically Cairo. The new dig was in Kahndaq, North East of Cairo. The tomb was supposedly the final resting place of Teth Adam, a warrior king empowered by the gods to fight for Justice.

When the pair finally left the airport, Ch'al almost hissed at the heat. He quickly took off his button down and tied it around his waist. Carter shook his head. "You're gonna want a hat, and this." He tossed the teen a bottle of sunblock. Ch'al almost threw it over his shoulder when he saw the heat actually shimmer in the air. So he dutifully rubbed the sunblock into his skin. "Mr. Hall?" asked a newcomer.

Carter spun and laughed. "Danny, what's this Mr. Hall nonsense? How are you?" Carter embraced Danny, both smiling.

Danny rubbed his head nervously. "Sorry, Professor Richmond is a bloody stickler for formalities, so Carter, this the nephew?"

Carter nodded as he waved Ch'al over. "It is indeed, Charlie this is Danny Washington, a former grad student of mine. He moved from Central City to Saint Roch a few months before you came to live with me." Ch'al took the man's hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you sir," said the alien, he cast a critical eye on the stranger. Danny was a well-built black man, with a shaved head and a five o'clock shadow. His hands were somewhat soft, but not terribly.

"And you too. Well Carter, I have a jeep we can leave right now if you wish?" asked Danny.

"Well one, but I can ask on the way," answered Carter.

"By all means," replied Danny as the three climbed into the jeep. Ch'al sat in the back, with the duffles as Carter and Danny talked up front. "Now, what did you want to ask?"

"Is this really the tomb of Teth Adam?" questioned Carter.

Danny nodded. "As far as we can tell this is genuine, which means it's from the same period as the Hawk Pharaohs of Egypt. Professor Richmond might have even found a sample of the magical Raa gold that the stories have alluded too." Both Carter and Ch'al shared a look as they processed the information.

"Well, it should be very interesting, as long as we don't awaken Teth Adam. All the stories say he's immortal." All three laughed at Carter's joke.

The drive took almost 8 hours, but it was worth it. The dig site was massive, with several hundred workers, all straining as they labored under the harsh desert sun. The main tent was located to the west of the dig, where the tomb entrance had been discovered. The massive tent was already filled with relics excavated from the tomb; hieroglyph covered slabs of stone, jewelry, clothes, items a king would need in the afterlife.

The three newcomers all dipped their heads as they entered the tent. Ch'al let out an audible sigh, the change in temperature wasn't much, but it was definitely appreciated. "Who the blasted…oh! Professor Hall, thank goodness you're here!" exclaimed Professor Richmond. Richmond was a portly man, with balding grey hair and a thick mustache. Like Carter he was dressed in shorts and a light button down, though his was covered in sweat marks. "Damn heat, if Egypt wasn't one of the oldest centers of human society, I would never step foot here!" cursed the older man as he took Carter's hand.

Carter laughed as he shook the man's hand. "Well it takes getting used to. Now why did you call me in?"

Professor Richmond gestured to a gold tablet, engraved with strange hieroglyphs. "That's why, you're the foremost Egyptologist I know, and I can't make heads or tails of this tablet."

Carter nodded as he examined the tablet. "Hoo boy, this is a piece of work. Charlie get me my duffle, I'm gonna need some equipment." The teen grunted as he handed Carter his bag. Carter slung it on the folding table which rattled from the weight. Both Danny and Richmond stared at it. Carter went to open it when he stopped. "Danny, Charlie there is a strong kid, give him some work, and Professor I'll need some time to work these hieroglyphs out, why don't you over see the excavation?" though phrased as a question, all could hear the command in Carter's voice. Professor Richmond grumbled but acquiesced, while Danny just smiled cheerfully and wrapped an arm around Ch'al's shoulder.

"Sure thing Carter, come on Charlie, you have the look…and damn! The build of someone who can definitely swing a pickaxe," said Danny as the group left. Ch'al looked back, he saw a flash of feathers, as Carter opened his duffle. "So, ever do any excavating?" Ch'al shook his head. Danny nodded. "Well, it's easy enough, about three quarters of the tomb is still underground, so we're digging it out. Unfortunately, sand slides, and the wind is obnoxious. But we're making progress." Danny and Ch'al drove to the buried tomb, where workers were busy with shovels hauling up sand. "So shifts rotate every three hours, water comes around ever 15, take the drink."

Ch'al grunted as he stripped out his shirt and took a shovel. Ten minutes later he fell into a lumbering pace, shoveling sand out with the rest of the workers. When Danny came at the end of the shift, Ch'al had a large crowd of workers gathered around him, shouting at the top of their lungs. "Hey, hey what's going on!?" cried Danny as he struggled through the crowd.

"The teenager, he's engaged in a competition Akabar, to see who can dig the fastest," answered the foreman. "It has been excellent for the workers. They all have filled their quotas early to watch." Danny finally got through to see both men in great pits of sand, shovels a blur of movement. But it was clear the victor. Akabar was straining and grunting, while Ch'al seemed completely unfazed, his movements as controlled as when he started. Finally Akabar collapsed and there were loud groans as men lost their wagers. For his part, Ch'al just handed his shovel off and climbed out of the pit. Many patted him on the back as he walked by; he smiled and dipped his head.

Danny came and clapped him on the shoulder. "Damn what does Carter feed you? You don't even look out of breath."

Ch'al shrugged. "I took a lot of breaks."

When he didn't elaborate Danny just nodded. "Well fair enough, come on, Carter says he needs your help. Personally I think he just wants to show off, but what do I know." Ch'al didn't bother to respond. The drive back was filled with awkward silence. Ch'al refused to speak, and Danny finally gave up trying to start a conversation.

Back at the base camp, Carter was sketching the tablet when he heard the jeep. He walked out of the tent to see the pair drive up. "Good you're here, Charlie remember those hieroglyphs I showed you, these might be similar come take a look." Ch'al swung out of the jeep and made his way after his guardian. Inside the tent, several pieces of gold Nth metal were spread out on the table, along with etchings of the hieroglyphs.

"So it's like you thought," said Ch'al as he cast an eye over Carter's work station.

"Yes, the hieroglyphs mention a gift, given to Teth Adam, by the Pharaoh Khufu, made of Raa's gold," answered Carter.

Cha'l looked at the Nth metal samples, his eyebrow cocked. "Nth metal?" he asked as he gestured to the alien metal.

Carter nodded. "It appears so. I don't know what kind of gift, it's a Thanagarian symbol I'm unfamiliar with, can you understand it?"

Ch'al stared at the strange symbol. "Not really, the closest I can think is either shield, armor? Something to do with metal and wearing."

Carter sighed as he sat back. "That's all I could get, and that could mean anything, just not armor."

Ch'al shook his head. "No, this is masculine bent, it's related to battle, see there," he pointed to a small detail. "But it's not a weapon."

"Hmm, you're right Ch'al, interesting, very interesting," replied Carter. He sighed and rubbed his temple. "I have Khufu's memories, but I have no idea what this gift could be. If only I could remember."

Ch'al shook Carter's shoulders. "Stop, you'll give yourself an episode. The Asorbacron did a number on you; the memories are still being processed. Especially as the merger with the shadow thief. If there is something important about this gift, you'll remember, but forcing yourself won't help."

Carter actually sat back and stared at Ch'al. "Wow Charlie, um thank you. I think I'll go outside and get some fresh air." Ch'al just grunted as he got back to work on the tablet. Carter smiled. "There's the Ch'al I know and love."


	5. Chapter 5

So this story has been dead for awhile, and I received a challenge for a new Teen Titans Fic that I'm gonna start working on. I might come back to this story, I do love it, but for now it's over. Sorry to the fans who enjoyed it, but this story just isn't speaking to me anymore. Look forward to the new story,

BRL


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